Match Report

West Ham extended their unbeaten run to five games courtesy of a 1-1 draw at Molineux this afternoon - but should really have been celebrating a win.

With the game entering the fourth minute of added time Frederic Piquionne completed a clever move to score what appeared to be the game's winning goal. However referee Mark Clattenburg saw differently and ruled out the Frenchman's effort for handball - despite his contact with the ball quite clearly being with his chest.

If ever there was a game of two halves, then this was it. For as bad as West Ham were in a first half in which the home side created a stack of goalscoring opportunities Wolves were equally inept after the break and, in the end, lucky to escape with a point for their efforts.

Despite controlling the game for much of the opening 45 minutes Mick McCarthy's side managed to find the net on just one occasion, thanks largely to the efforts of Robert Green in the United goal. However Green wasn't looking so impressive on nine minutes when he failed to deal with a cross that allowed Matt Jarvis to turn the ball into the empty net.

Fortunately that soon changed as the former England 'keeper made two exquisite saves later in the half to ensure his side retained a fighting chance after the break.

With the necessary tactical adjustments made by Avram Grant and his team at the break, the Hammers set about their task with a far greater hunger and were back on level terms just eight minutes after the restart.

Mark Noble fired home West Ham's sixth league goal of the season - five of which have arrived from set pieces - to restore parity and give United the psychological advantage going into the final third of the game.

As time wore on so the chances piled up for Grant's reinvigorated side. Frederic Piquionne's fierce 56th minute effort that crashed against the crossbar was merely an indication of what was to follow. Victor Obinna, quieter than in recent weeks but still dangerous saw an effort blocked by what appeared to be Michael Mancienne's arm.

Carlton Cole, on as a 77th minute sub for the tiring (yet excellent) Kieron Dyer fluffed a sitter having done the hard work weaving his way through a retreating Wanderers defence shortly after Dyer himself had seen an effort cleared off the line.

A winning goal seemed inevitable at that stage as the Hammers pushed on, although Green still had to be alert as gaps were inevitably left. Wolves, who came into this game on the back of four successive defeats appeared spent by their first-half efforts and rarely took advantage - so much so that for much of the second half they reverted to a 451 formation designed to protect a fragile point.

That much they managed to achieve - but only thanks to the intervention of referee Clattenburg, who, having already denied Obinna a goalscoring opportunity in the 89th minute when opting instead to pull play back for an earlier foul on Luis Boa Morte denied Piquionne by penalising him for a hand-ball that only he appeared to notice - at least, that's what the bemusement on the faces of all those around him (in both gold and claret and blue) suggested.

The point leaves West Ham bottom of the Premier League with six points from eight matches played - the same figures as today's opponents who sit a place above by virtue of a superior goal difference.

Next up for West Ham is the visit of newly-promoted Newcastle next weekend.